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78 reviews for Starz Cupcakes
Review Highlights
"the chocolate peanut butter was my favorite."
(in 7 reviews)
"great frosting (yummm) and great filling inside."
(in 26 reviews)
"best ever sorry sprinkles but star is tops."
(in 6 reviews)
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78 reviews in English
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Review from Angie C.
Santa Clara, CA
9/29/2011
I love dessert but I also like to consider myself a dessert snob. I am calorie aware and have to have a dessert that is worth the calories. Starz cupcakes are worth the calories!
I was introduced to Starz by a friend of mine who is local to Santa Cruz. The first day I ate one cupcake I was addicted. In fact, I can't give you my favorite flavor because there are so many!
Recently, I was with the friend who introduced me to Starz. She had a box of the lemon cupcakes, I ate one and I was in absolute heaven! One of my many favorites.
Yesterday, once again, I went to Starz to get more cupcakes after a beach day. Lisa, the owner, was there and I always enjoy talking to her. She is very passionate and it shows in the quality of the cupcakes. I mentioned the lemon cupcakes I just ate over the weekend and she said they were being made again this weekend.
Needless to say, I will be heading to Starz Cupcakes in Capitola from San Jose this weekend for those lemon cupcakes.
Thank you to the staff at Starz Cupcakes for always satisfying my sweet tooth. :) -
Review from Amanda M.
Morgan Hill, CA
2/6/2012
I THINK EVERYONE WHO GAVE THIS PLACE MORE THAN TWO STARS HAD TO HAVE BEEN SUPER STONED.
the prolific amount of "munchies" in the area must be the only thing keeping this place open.
WOOOWWWW this place SUCKS! TERRIBLE FROSTING!!! like worse than grocery store cupcakes!!!
I buy a lot of cupcakes, i have lived in NYC for a while and been to bakeries up and down Manhattan and Brooklyn. lived in san jose for most of my life with all the delicious bakeries there, and los gatos, and willow glen. then i went to school near walnut creek for a bit and they have two excellent cupcakeries up there. and i have NEVER in my life, had a cupcake so bad as this place serves.
first of all i thought they were a bit pricey, $3.50 is kinda pushin it, then i was hesitant about getting the vanilla one because i am a vanilla lover through and through i don't like chocolate hardly at all so when it comes to vanilla it has to be GOOD for me to be impressed and mediocre for me to even like it. IT WAS AWFUL, the frosting was that gritty, sugary, overload! and then the actual cupcake coulldn't stay together! i stabbed it with my fork and it was almost like stepping on a sandcastle! it just crumbled into tiny pieces all over the place!
the lady reassured me that these recipes were award winning (by who?!) and honestly, they should get an award for having multiple stores and tasting so bad! because to me, that is impressive.
my BF got the peanut butter chocolate, he didn't finish his either (we both threw them away after two bites) he said he couldn't even imagine eating that without a gallon of milk to help wash it down it was so dry and the peanut butter so salty it just made it WORSE!
to top it off i almost felt as if the saleswoman was mocking my bf and i because of how she was talking to her coworker, out loud, facing me, about 3 feet away, about couples who oddly do the same things that my bf and i were doing in there.... we were the only people standing in the shop. i wanted to ask her if she was serious with what she was saying???
BOOOOOOO
TEN THUMBS DOWN!
BOYCOTT THIS JOKE OF A CUPCAKERY! -
Review from miss t.
Santa Cruz, CA
11/2/2011
When Starz Cupcakes first opened, being a fan of the Snickers bar I tried a Snickers cupcake, which didn't jive with me. After awhile I completely forgot about this place, then recently got excited about giving them another try after buying a Groupon.
I went with my sister and it appeared that many of the good cupcake choices were already sold out. When we asked the front counter person how much an Italian soda was she didn't know. This wouldn't have seemed like a big deal except all they sell are cupcakes and soda. Really you don't know? Then there were no lids for the size of soda we bought...
We ended up picking three cupcakes. To my surprise only the vegan one vaguely tasted anything like a (homemade/gourmet) cupcake. The other two had a muffin texture not a soft moist cake texture, as others have stated, and a hard candy frosting on top. I had one bite of each and threw both of them away.
I tried Starz I tried... I wanted very bad to like you. -
Review from Alise C.
Santa Cruz, CA
2/4/2012
After eating one of their cupcakes, I felt sick to my stomach. It was dry throughout, crunchy in spots (my first crunchy cupcake) and the frosting was sickeningly sweet. It tasted like a worse version of those cheap soft sugar cookies you get in the bakery section at Safeway.
Awful. -
Review from Peggy H.
San Jose, CA
1/20/2012 1 Check-in Here
This one of my favorite places to get cupcakes on the way to the beach. What is fun is the sprinkles bar so customers can add additional fun to their cupcakes.
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Review from Susan W.
Summit, NJ
1/19/2012
I was stunned at how awful these cupcakes were, since I had read the reviews. I am at a loss to explain it. The white cake chocolate frosting was dry, tasteless, and the frosting all sweet and no chocolate flavor. The gluten free cupcake was gigglingly gummy. What a huge disappointment, especially since I paid 23 dollars for 6 lousy cupcakes. Not only that but the website stated it was open until 9, but when I came in at 6 she said they were closing. The choices were limited. I mentioned the website says 9 and she was quite rude to me about it. I won't be back, and I suggest you look someplace else.
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Review from Eric S.
Santa Cruz, CA
12/15/2011
First off the cupcakes look delicious. I love the presentation of the creatively wrapped up cupcake enveloped by the parchment paper. The store itself is aesthetically pleasing but I didn't personally care for the cupcakes. They all tasted way too sweet for my liking.
That being said, the staff was really sweet and welcoming. What might bring me back? Have a variety of mini cupcakes because with todays focus on health and fitness, its nice to indulge in a refined way. Second, offer a less sweet version--Not a fake sugar option but a 1/3 less sugar option so those of us who love dark chocolate (ie-less sweet) can enjoy the flavor profile of a delicious treat. Nice idea for a local business--Way to go! -
Review from Kristin A.
Santa Cruz, CA
11/18/2011
I am normally a fan of a 3 dollar cupcake.... however these are not worth it.
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Review from Rick R.
Capitola, CA
10/31/2011
Fantastic - loved the chocolate caramel cupcake with sea salt.
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Review from Brian B.
7/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
The whole experience is a bit awkward in store. Service is kind of slow, and there are only a very limited number of each cupcakes, so the good ones go away quickly. The cupcakes themselves are alright. I really enjoyed the yellow cake with chocolate frosting ones I had for my birthday (which had to be specially ordered, since they don't carry that in general...). Meanwhile, the Funfetti one I had today was only so-so...as was the red velvet cake my friend ordered. My friends went gaga over the Snicker's ones, but I wasn't so impressed. I'm intrigued to try the Snickerdoodle ones...
All in all, I can't say that I'm really a fan of any store bought cupcake, be it Starz, Sprinkles, or Safeway... -
Review from Angel C.
Salinas, CA
5/16/2011
Whoever said that Starz Cupcakes cupcakes were muffins is an absolute moron. I loved their big cupcakes, it actually make it worth spending $3.25 per cake. Now they're about half the size and the same price.
The cakes are still awesome though they are a tad bit smaller.
The chocolate cakes are an old family recipe and they're vegan! Not that dry horrible kind of vegan cake either. Moist and rich.
The customer service is amazing when you get the owner (Lisa) but her daughter is not as kind.
Before I would've given Starz 5 stars, now with the size difference and same price I give it a 3.
Edit:
I visited Starz recently and I'm happy to say that their cupcakes are back to the wonderfully big cakes they use to be. 5 stars for Starz! -
Review from Michelle C.
Belmont, CA
5/2/2011
I have to thank Groupon for getting me out here. I thought the store was cute. Prices I felt were a little high for these cupcakes, $3.25 each. They didn't have the same quality as Sibby's A+(San Mateo), Sprinkles B+ (Palo Alto) and Kara's B-(Santa Clara/SF). What do I mean by quality, as another Yelper had pointed out, the cake base in chocolate was the same, just different frosting. Example: Triple chocolate was the same as the Grasshopper. There needed to be a little bit more flavor options, besides for the frosting being different.
I think they had Lemon, Red Velvet, White Cake, Carrot Cake and a bunch of chocolate cakes?
Positives: The cake portion was very soft and moist. That was very impressive. It is hard to produce a moist cupcake. -
Review from Fallon E.
La Verne, CA
4/25/2011
WOW. I can't say enough about this GEM of a cupcake bakery! I've tasted all the "uppity" cupcakes from San Diego to Sacramento and I can say without a DOUBT that Starz Cupcakes are THEEE BEST EVER!
The owners and staff are always friendly and helpful and have even made custom cupcakes at our request!
You MUST try their velvet cupcakes (they come in all colors, not just red), pumpkin, white chocolate macadamia, blueberry, and so many more!
There is a family recipe cupcake that is AH-MAY-ZING! So good that another cupcake shop has stolen this family recipe! Sad!
Their prices are great and their recipes are handed down from many generations ago!
My boyfriend and I can't get enough of Starz Cupcakes! -
Review from Jeromy G.
Hercules, CA
10/18/2011
I had a good experience when I came here. People were nice, they had good tasting cupcakes which were moist and had lots of frosting which was good. I like them. Of course you cant' compare to Sprinkles but if you think its over hyped and are willing to try something new Its pretty good.
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Review from Tonya T.
Santa Cruz, CA
6/26/2011
The cupcake was alright. I was neither disappointed, nor wowed by the whole experience...
They primarily had chocolate bar themed cupcakes, like snickers, musketeers, oreo (I know, it's a cookie), reeses, butterfinger, and milkyway... Then a few plain chocolate and vanilla. All of the candy-themes were very similar -- milk chocolate, caramel, peanuts. I didn't see any kind of creativity there. I wish they had at least explored different types of candy like skittles, taffy, gummy bears, jelly bellies, and so forth.
Really, anyone can unwrap a bite-sized candy and drop it on the frosting of a regular chocolate cupcake...that doesn't make it an interesting flavor (maybe to a child). When I go out for a cupcake, I want flavors that I would not think of at home. Since I get pretty wild with flavor pairings, I like bakeries that can take risks with spices, citrus, or floral flavors...Even different takes on chocolate (milk, dark, white). But Starz didn't show me anything innovative.
At the base of everything, even though I ordered a snicker something or another, I got a plain chocolate cupcake (it was too light, but perfectly moist) with decent frosting and a bite size snicker on top.... But I was hoping for a whole snicker experience: with peanuts and caramel playing inside the cupcake...
Maybe I'm too harsh. -
Review from Alena B.
10/7/2011
I consider myself somewhat of a cupcake connoisseur and this place is top-notch. The cake is moist and good and the frosting is even better...I seriously think that this place beats out Kara's and Sprinkles. YUM YUM YUM!
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Review from Lori D.
Aptos, CA
11/9/2011
I took advantage of the recent Groupon offer since I had the cupcakes before and really enjoyed them.
We were on our way to a Sunday afternoon birthday lunch and I thought I'd pick-up some for the group. I thought this was perfect because their website spoke of sugarless cupcakes and the birthday girl is diabetic. There were very few types to choose from and none of them were sugarless. The young women twice told me that they could make us some and to come back in two hours. This would have been extremely helpful had I not told her we were on our way to the event and had no time to wait.
My advice is to call ahead of time if you have special requests. I was prepared to spend about $40.00 (minus my $10.00 coupon) so Starz lost out too.
I would give 5 stars for the cupcakes. I realize that they can't have all of their types at all times, but I would think they should always have the sugarless and gluten free, since people who need those can't have any of the others. This is why I gave them 3 stars. -
Review from Robert G.
Capitola, CA
12/10/2010
OMG Delicious!!!
As I left MaxMuscle today, I noticed a little place called STARZ cupcakes, I was a little intrigued as I have never been to a exclusive cupcake store. When I went in the place was fairly plain, one woman stood behind the counter, I overheard her speaking to her customer, and saying " you must eat this cupcake with a fork, as it has a gooey caramel center..hmm...I thought sounds like something I must indulge myself with.
I stand here in front of my laptop having just finished my caramel cupcake, and let me tell ya, I have a smile ear to ear. It was by far the best cupcake I have ever had, it was so fresh and perfectly baked, the caramel was so sweet and delicious...
If you come to Capitola and dont try STARZ cupcakes, you really have missed out on this little jewel we have in our city. -
Review from Jenny B.
San Jose, CA
11/3/2011
best ever sorry sprinkles but star is tops!!!!! O I love the surprises in side the cupcakes the best!!!!!!
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Review from Amanda D.
Scotts Valley, CA
9/27/2011
Glad to see I'm not the only one to pan these underwhelming hunks of sweet nothingness: all three of the cupcakes I chose tasted of nothing but sugar on top of sugar and the icing, well, I simply threw it out.
I wouldn't buy these at half the price, at any price.
After all the hoopla this was super disappointing. -
Review from Asian G.
Saratoga, CA
11/12/2010
I'm being generous by giving them 2 stars. 1 star is for their customer service, they were very friendly. The other star is for their cupcakes.
After a friend brought me Starz Cupcakes version of the red velvet, I thought it wasn't bad so I decided to wander in & check out what else they had!
I really wanted to like their cupcakes. I love lemon *everything* so of course I went straight for their lemon cupcake. I didn't like it. I love lemon curd but their cupcake was much too rich for my taste. It didn't taste light & fresh like you would expect anything lemon to be...it was heavy & there wasn't that lemony tart bite to it.
I also tried their pumpkin cupcake. It was really light & the whipped cream type frosting was weird with it. It just didn't go. I know they were probably going for the pumpkin pie with whipped cream thats served on Thanksgiving but...maybe it was the strong spices that overpowered the cupcake? I don't know, it tasted weird. Again, it was not very good.
Their red velvet was alright but not enough to make me go back for just that.Comment from Lisa - Connie B. of Starz Cupcakes 12/5/2010
First of all I would like to thank you for taking the time… More » -
Review from Max D.
Campbell, CA
After hearing about Starz from a friend, we've gone in a few times and have loved the cupcakes.
This time, we had the opportunity to meet the owner, Lisa, who explained that the cupcake-making history of her family goes back several generations. She was very friendly and helpful and entertained all our questions about the history of the business and the recipes.
We've had the lemon and carrot cake cupcakes which were both to-die-for! The cake had the perfect density and the frosting wasn't too rich or sugary. We've also tasted the Snickers cupcake at a party, and Lisa was nice enough to offer us a sample of the decadent chocolate cupcake (they have a few varieties of chocolate cupcakes). Both of these were EPIC!
Stop by and talk to the owner for a bit, try some cupcakes ($3.25 each - totally worth it) and see if you like it!
We will be back, as Starz is now our #1 cupcake destination! -
Review from Dean B.
Satans Kingdom, VT
4/25/2011
If you're into cupcakes then look no further than Starz. Their delicious original family recipes go back many generations. Just check out the great family photos on the wall. It's a cool history lesson on how serious this family is about baking. The store is very welcoming and clean, the delicious cupcakes are not only good tasting, but a work of art. Their employees are very nice, I'm always greeted very warmly and always leave with a smile on on my face. I highly recommend Starz Cupcakes.
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Review from Rachel F.
Santa Cruz, CA
8/31/2011
Overall I would say these cupcakes are NOT worth 3.25..
I get them at my work all the time, a local store which carries them, and I am usually let down. The one time I actually paid (the samoa one looked too good to refuse) it didn't have the filling that the tag said it had and it was super dry. Ive tried one with lime filling, disgusting. Ive tried the funfetti one, boring. Purple velvet, absolutely disgusting in texture and taste but it was vegan so the texture is semi acceptable. There was also one with strawberries on the inside which I thought was oookay but I didnt finish it. There was a strawberry one with strawberry frosting which I thought tasted really weird almost like it had taffy for frosting.
The ones Ive liked have been the chocolate with chocolate frosting and chocolate chips, the chocolate one with peanut butter in the middle and the snickers one. Today I had peanut butter with peanut butter in the middle and peanut butter frosting. It was a let down. Overall Id say the ones with something inside the middle are a better choice.
As you can see from my track record I actually like a small portion of the flavors I try. I enjoy the chocolate ones the most and I am a person who usually likes white cake over anything else. -
Review from Kim R.
Santa Cruz, CA
5/25/2010
There are cupcakes and there are muffins.
Starz seems to be a bit confused as what to sell. As a previous reviewer said, these are "muffins covered in frosting." Overtly sweet frosting at that.
I am a cupcake fanatic. I make homemade cupcakes all the time and boy were these a let down. The cake is dense and flavorless. The frosting tastes like pure sugar.
At the price they charge, I'll be staying home and making my own homemade cupcakes. -
Review from Melissa F.
San Francisco, CA
9/25/2010
If I could give this bakery 10 stars I would. I called Starz in a complete panic at 6pm and needed 100 cupcakes in 30 minutes for someone's wedding and they did it without hesitation. They literally saved the day and I will be forever grateful. Their cupcakes look sublime and I would think it's people like this that deserve the most praise.
A million thanks. -
Review from vicky t.
Finally got to taste this place
Where to begin
1. They have a ridiculous number of flavors
2. You can get their cuppies at Yogurt DeLite locations AND some local movie theaters
3. Good frosting and cake
4. Flavor profiles aren't too super sweet.. well balanced
5. Convenient hours and location (get your nails did, grab a yogurt and cuppies)
6. Cuppies are the size of Sweet Passions (larger than expected) and a good deal for your money
7. There presentation is steller (cute wrapping and frosting patterns) I love the fact that they pay attention to details like that
TIZZLE MOM AND POP SHOP APPROVED
The snickerlicious or whatever I had at the movie theater today was a whole small package of caramel and chocolate goodness for 3.25.
I am not a fan of Kara's or Sprinkles (which are smaller and the ones I have had either tasted funny, off or stale) so this place is my new go to for cuppies in the 831.
NOTE: closed Mondays!
Double Note: Yes they do weddings and events but will charge you for the cupcake stand rental in addition to your cupcake order (friend of a friend is using them for an event)Listed in: cuppies
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Review from Brenda R.
Santa Cruz, CA
2/23/2011 1 photo
I swear when they first opened, Starz had cupcakes that can rival Sprinkles and that can also save a trip to Stanford. It was under 3 bucks! It was just that good. I remember having their special cupcake for St Patty's day and it was sooo good that I brought my husband to the store.
I went back there recently and found out that the prices now are 3.25 for each cupcake. Got two red velvets, black and white cupcake (chocolate cupcake with vanilla frosting), and chocolate cupcakes. They weren't bad but I remembered the cupcakes being more rich and tasty. I guess I should try my luck again next time. -
Review from Jocelyn L.
San Francisco, CA
7/17/2010
This cupcake shop has great cupcakes! The cakes taste very homemade, unlike other "gourmetl" cupcake shops like Sprinkles or Kara's cupcakes. The flavors are different and familiar. They have the traditional birthday flavored cake, yellow cupcake with a strawberry on top, but they also have a twist on their cupcakes, i.e. a turquoise velvet cupcake instead of red velvet. They also have original flavors - my boyfriend got a Snickers-flavored cupcake.
Cupcakes are $3 each, but they are huge! When you eat here, they put it in a cup, and you eat it with a spoon, so it's kind of treated like an ice cream.
Another thing that I was very surprised about was the service. The lady who served me, who seemed like the owner although I am not sure, was extremely nice. She was very comfortable joking around with customers in a very friendly way, and was pleased with any feedback we had, although she was very modest. She told us that they had received a call from Food Network the other day, on being on the Cupcake Wars show. Also, Ellen Degeneres has ordered cupcakes through them at least twice.
I would definitely recommend this cupcake shop and return if I were in the area! -
Review from Elizabeth M.
Milpitas, CA
6/22/2010
In February 2010 I was looking for a cupcake place for my wedding this was one of the local shops I tried. Their cupcakes are beautiful and the customer service is top notch!
The reason for the bad review is the taste, Muffin-like is actually a really good description. I got 6 flavors and tried all of them in hopes of finding one I liked because they were so pretty and the people were so nice. I was unable to find a flavor I liked and my wedding party was more then a little ticked at having to try so many of them. I left defeated with a monster sugar headache. -
Review from Sheri M.
Santa Cruz, CA
1/18/2011 11 Check-ins Here
Friendly but just a little slow. Not a hugh variety but what I had was great!!
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Review from Jen C.
San Diego, CA
2/22/2010
I have to admit that I haven't been to the bakery itself, but just happened to score one of the cupcakes that were at the office for a celebration. With that being said, perhaps I would've awarded more stars based on a review of their cupcakes and customer service as this one is purely on the cupcake.
Let me just start by saying that my friends and I are frequent customers at Sprinkles Palo Alto and will gladly drive the hour and a half each way for a delicious cupcake, so it's hard for another bakery to live up to my expectations. Starz cupcakes weren't bad, but they definitely weren't close to the quality of a Sprinkles cupcake.
At first glance, the cupcakes that my co-worker had picked up this afternoon all looked very pretty. The sugar star on the top of each one was a nice little touch. I had a chocolate cupcake with white frosting and it was pretty good, but nothing remarkable. The cake was a little dense and not as flavorful as I had expected. While I could tell they were homemade because of the texture, the flavor was comparable to some of the boxed mixes I've had. The frosting was probably the most flavorful part of the cupcake and just a little on the sweet side. The vanilla flavoring in the frosting definitely over powered the chocolate cake so I found myself removing about half of the frosting in order to help balance things out a little.
All in all, it wasn't a bad cupcake, but I wouldn't make a special trip to Santa Cruz for them. -
Review from Jennifer D.
Cupertino, CA
8/3/2009
I'm a cupcake fan. And recently heard about this place, so I had to try it.
I LOVE Red Velvet cakes/cupcakes. They had an orange velvet cake, and it was just odd tasting, nothing I could actually put my finger on, and I like to think I have a pretty well trained palate. Its wasn't great, it wasn't awful.
The size of the cupcake was anything but generous, was quite small, and that wasn't even a "mini". The cake itself was moist, but again...odd flavor.
I'll try them again, just to see if it was off that day. But wasn't overly impressed. -
Review from Valerie G.
Sunnyvale, CA
9/24/2009
Wow. Was this place ever disappointing. I absolutely adore cupcakes and I've tried most of the designer cupcake shoppes around the Bay Area. I was excited to try Sparkles in Capitola. Big letdown. There is *so* much icing, you can barely get to the cake. And the cupcake itself was incredibly dense, and absolutely flavorless. I swear, I couldn't even make out one ingredient.
I'm giving 2 stars because the gal that waited on us was super-sweet. But not as sweet as that icing (gag!!).
Speaking of Stars... Sparkles recently changed their name to "Starz Cupcakes"... hmmm... wonder if they were forced to do so because it so closely resembled Sprinkles? I can't imagine changing your entire brand for any other reason.
Anywho. Won't be buying any more of these cupcakes. I'll stick to Kara's and Sprinkles. They have the corner market on upscale cupcakes as far as I'm concerned. -
Review from April F.
Salinas, CA
5/13/2010
White cupcake with white sugary frosting? Frosting so sweet that it almost crunches from the sugar? Now that's what I'm talkin' 'bout. I don't want fruit flavors. Or chocolate. Or cream cheese frosting. I want the basic. The original.
When I saw that they had "my" kind of cupcake, I was giddy. The boyfriend picked some ridiculous chocolate and caramel monstrosity with a piece of snicker's bar on top.
We took our cakes to go and ate them in the parking lot...as an appetizer. (Cupcakes at 5:30pm on a Sunday? I don't mind if I do!) The first lick of the frosting told me I had hit pay-dirt. I dug down into the wrapper to find a dense, moist, white cake.
The only reason I didn't give this spot a 5? They had Pepsi products instead of Coke. A girl needs a Coke Classic when she's eatin' this kind of magic.Comment from Lisa - Connie B. of Starz Cupcakes 6/28/2010
Hi April, Well... I think maybe we might have just earned 5… More » -
Review from Billie Y.
Santa Cruz, CA
9/15/2011
I honestly can't decide what to rate this place because each time I go in, I have a different exprience. Three stars for mediocre, I suppose?
The customer service is superb; the owener is extremely friendly and talkative... even gave my daughter a sticker! No complaints whatsoever with that.
However, I can hoenstly say that I have no idea what goes on in their kitchen. The first time I ever tried a cupcake from here my friend brought me a chocolate one with mint frosting. It was decent, and I later decided to go in to their store to try another one and check out their variety. They didn't have much of a variety... and I'm not sure if this is because they get very busy or because it's just boring. Either way I decided to order the funfetti cupcake. It was disgustingly dry and flavorless and the frosting was crispy instead of smooth & creamy. The worst part was that I went in in the early afternoon; this shoudln't have been a result of it sitting in the case for too long.
So anyway, one lonely night after watching re-runs of Cake Boss for 3 hours straight I decided to bite the bullet and try this place again. I ordered the chocolate cake with peanut butter filling... OH MY GOD. Absolutely fabulously deliciously orgasmic. I was addicted right then & there... I had found what completed me. Ever since then I have never had a problem with the taste and texture of their chocolate cakes. Baked to perfection! My mom brought me home a funfetti one about 20 minutes ago which brought me to write this review. It was a lot better than the first funfetti I had tried.. moist, rich and not overkill. It was pretty good. Ok, fuck it.... I'll raise my rating. Four stars for awesome service and yumminess... even if it is primarily for their chocolate recipe! -
Review from Cassie A.
Scotts Valley, CA
7/13/2011
Oh my goodness! Best cupcakes EVER! They did my wedding on June 26,2011. Lisa and Connie did a great job coordinating colors and providing multiple flavors. They were way more reasonably priced than any of the bakery's in town! My favorites are Wonka, Triple chocolate, Cookies and Cream, Orange Palermo, Blueberry, Snickers, Sea Salted Caramel and Chocolate...... Oh the list could go on and on.
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Review from robert r.
Santa Cruz, CA
6/10/2011
Discovered this place as I saw a person dressed in a spongebob type outfit waving to people and I thought, "what the hell is that place, and I need to check it out for I want a good laugh." Well, imagine my surprise when I found the most delicious cupcakes on the coast! My first was the Caramel Apple Pie Cupcake and if you haven't tried it, do yourself a favor and GO EAT. Lisa, the owner, is wonderful and kind, and told my friend and I all about the history of the shop as well as the different cupcakes they create. I have gone back repeatedly and brought friends/families/colleagues and everyone has thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
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Review from Diana W.
Santa Cruz, CA
4/21/2010
Holy delicious!! I've been meaning to stop by Starz since it opened last summer and now I'm kicking myself for not having visited sooner. I had the very best coconut cupcake I've ever tasted.
It's a little bit pricey but so worth it, especially because the cupcakes are larger than standard size. Plus the owner was super friendly, and they just installed a "bling bar" which I can't wait to test out. (It's basically a whole smorgasbord of sprinkles and related toppings.)
YUM! -
Review from M B.
Chino, CA
9/7/2010
Over Labor Day weekend, my sisters and I went on vacay to Monterey. We googled cupcakes, and this place came up. It was only about a 35 minute drive, so we decided to check them out. (Speaking of the web- they've got a good website with lots of easy to find info).
Walking in, we were underwhelmed. This place was pretty plain. The owner said they were in the middle of getting ready to paint a mural or something, so maybe the store will have more pizazz soon. I did think it was nice that they had their family matriarchs on the wall to pay tribute to their recipe influences.
Let me continue with the positives first: the cupcakes are a good size, and accurately priced. There's a good variety. The options sound creative. The wrappers are cute & unique. The store is a good size with potential to be attractive. I like the ability to sit in the store to eat. I also thought it was a fun idea to have a "Bling Bar" where you could add your own sprinkles to the cupcakes.
Now, the critique:
Coming from Southern Cali, we're used to gourmet shops, but it's not just that these tasted "home-made" and not gourmet, it's that they just didn't taste good. I am really not trying to be mean, just honest! The frosting crunched from the sugar (waaay too sweet), and the cakes though moist enough, tasted box-made (since they claim to be made from scratch, I guess what I'm tasting is a lack of decadence, or something that makes you pause and say wow). Though the flavors sounded creative, the execution was uncreative. For example, the chocolate peanut butter cupcake literally had a glob of peanut butter inside the cupcake & on top. Not a peanutbutter cream, or mousse, just a glob of PB. It did not taste good at all. The caramel de leche tasted like they squirted the squeezable caramel icecream topping inside the cupcake. Way too sweet & liquid-y. It seems their "huge variety" is just the same basic base cupcakes stuffed with something inside to make it "different" (i.e. same chocolate cake with a twix stuffed in the middle, or a snicker, or PB... not a snickers/twix/PB inspired/infused cake, frosting, or filling...)
The banner outside the store said "Thanks Santa Cruz for voting us Best Cupcake" .... The people of Santa Cruz must be short of options because I can't imagine this is the best they've got. If it is, I feel sad for them.
Though the owner was super sweet, talkative, and amiable, the cupcakes just weren't up to par. I wish I had something more positive to say because it seems like a really nice family-owned shop.
